MedicAlert Foundation encourages all Americans to get involved and be proactive during Food Allergy Awareness Week!

Are you or someone you know one of the 15 million people impacted by food allergies today?

If so, certain foods may leave you feeling itchy, scratchy, swollen, or breathless. It isn’t always possible to anticipate these upcoming reactions when consuming foods that are not your friend, especially when hidden ingredients are involved.

In 2006, Juliet Robinson became a member of MedicAlert Foundation after her neurologist recommended she purchase a MedicAlert membership in order to protect herself from underlying medical conditions she had, including severe allergies, Tourette’s syndrome, and Dystonia.

In 2012, that decision paid off while working in the food service industry as a bakery manager. Juliet would write to MedicAlert Foundation stating, “If it wasn’t for my bracelet I wouldn’t be writing this right now!” Juliet highlighted how her MedicAlert membership helped save her life while at work.

Every mother’s worst nightmare is the possibility of seeing her child at the brink of death. For Terri Schreiber, mother of eight-year-old Sophia, her nightmare became a reality when Sophia was three and ingested a single cashew and went into anaphylactic shock. Since Sophia was weeks old, she began exhibiting symptoms, which later were diagnosed as food and environment allergies. In her first three years, Sophia was allergic to simple foods such as milk and eggs. She also developed environmental allergies to grass, trees, weeds, and furry animals.